2007-05-30

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov met with Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen yesterday. It didn't go too well. According to Fradkov, Russia still intends to greatly increase wood export duties. Vanhanen, for his part, "feels that the moves violate conditions for membership with the World Trade Organisation", which from a Finnish politician is the equivalent of declaring a country a member of the Axis of Evil. Fradkov didn't have much sympathy for the Finnish company that has been (literally) fighting Russian officials over the use of a container terminal in Kronstadt, near St Petersburg.